And Vice-President Kunda said people
involved in political violence should know that they can be extradited to The
Hague to answer for their crimes at the International Criminal Court
(ICC).

Meanwhile, former president Chiluba yesterday told chiefs and
parliamentarians here that he will tell President Rupiah Banda “where to press”
to win next year’s elections.

Speaking on arrival at Mansa airport,
Vice-President Kunda said the opposition were jittery with Chiluba’s support for
the MMD.

“Dr Chiluba is a consultant on politics, on development. He
possesses wisdom and we shall continue to consult him as a son of the soil,
former head of state,” Vice-President Kunda said. “People are saying Dr Chiluba
is not welcome here in Luapula Province. That is daydreaming. I have seen for
myself that Dr Chiluba is a former head of state and he can go anywhere in
Zambia and is welcome, he is our former head of state.”

He said it was
not true that people were opposed to Chiluba’s trip to Mansa.

“Dr FJT
Chiluba, our second president, is here and people are jittery. When they were
working with Dr Chiluba there was no problem, they were not complaining about
him participating in national affairs, in politics. But now that he has decided
to work with the government of the day, they are jittery,” Vice-President Kunda
said.

“As the government, I want to assure you the people of Luapula
Province, the people of all provinces of Zambia that we shall work with former
heads of state. We shall work with Dr Kenneth Kaunda, we shall work with Dr
Chiluba and all former heads of state must work with the government of the day.
That is what we are doing.”

Vice-President Kunda claimed that former
parliamentary public accounts committee (PAC) chairperson Charles Milupi’s
Alliance for Development and Democracy (ADD) party was a break away from the
UPND while Elias Chipimo Jnr’s National Restoration Party (NAREP) was a break
away from the Patriotic Front (PF).

He said there were so many opposition
political parties that were coming up like mushroom in the rainy
season.

“Yesterday Friday, a new political party was launched under Mr
Milupi. That is a sprinter party from the UPND. That party has come out of UPND;
UPND has cracked into two parties. Another party was born recently, Mr Chipimo’s
party. That party was formed to tap on PF membership,” Vice-President Kunda
claimed. “To the contrary, with us people are coming in large numbers. Wherever
our President has gone, wherever I have gone, wherever our party officials have
gone, people are defecting. The Copperbelt is defecting to MMD.”

He said
the Patriotic Front (PF) was a party of darkness.

“It is also clear
because you are leaving the Patriotic Front. The PF, like their friends in the
pact, Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s party UPND, these are parties of violence. I have
come here with a message of peace. We want peace and tranquility in Zambia,” he
said. “What happened in Mufumbwe is a very sad development in Zambia. People,
the UPND, they were burning churches, killing dogs and injuring our
people.”

Vice-President Kunda said, “I would like to warn those who are
dedicated to violence that with violence, we have seen what has happened in
other parts of Africa. In violence, comes loss of life, with loss of life you
know now wherever life has been lost, the international community has got
involved.”

He said the UPND uses the Mapatizya formula, which is about
violence.

“Out of violence we can lose life. If we lose life, you know
that we now have the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Those who are
troublemakers they are extradited to The Hague. We don’t want Zambians to be
extradited to The Hague for trial in the International Criminal Court; we don’t
want this to happen to Zambians. Let us live in peace and tranquility,”
Vice-President Kunda said. “I am saying this because in 2011, we are looking at
2011. We want to elect our President Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda in peace. These
people are panicking because they know that our President is receiving massive
support.”

He said the MMD had grabbed some local government seats from
the PF in Luapula and Northern provinces.

“Out of eight local government
by-elections, we won five,” Vice-President Kunda said.He said he was here to
inspect developmental projects, which the government was
implementing.

“We have been following from the way you welcomed his
Excellency the President in this province, it’s quite clear that the people of
Luapula Province are tired of politicking and that they want development,”
Vice-President Kunda said. “I am aware that his Excellency the President
inspected several developmental projects. I have also come to see for myself
what our government is doing here in Luapula Province.”

Vice-President
Kunda later went to Milenge and Samfya districts to tour development projects
and hold rallies.

Meanwhile, Chiluba arrived here on Friday night and
several people that included Luapula Province minister Dr Bornface Kawimbe,
Copperbelt Province minister Mwansa Mbulakulima, parliamentarians Ben Mwila,
Elizabeth Chitika-Molobeka and several MMD cadres that braved the daytime heat
and night time cold welcomed him. Chiluba is accompanied by defence minister Dr
Kalombo Mwansa, former secretary generals of PF Edward Mumbi, Charles Chimumbwa,
Edwin Lifwekelo and several other sympathisers. Chiluba yesterday addressed
Luapula Province chiefs and parliamentarians, urging them to support President
Banda in next year’s elections

Chiluba said President Banda was a kind
man unlike PF’s Michael Sata. The two-day meeting will be closed today by
Vice-President Kunda.